Toronto Transit Commission rejects contract; strike imminent: Who Cares? –ALLDERBLOB

The Toronto Star and Car Advertiser is reporting on its website that the TTC has rejected the contract negotiated by its union boss Rob Kinnear and Toronto Mayor David Miller. Yeah, that contract–the one that “saved” Toronto from a crippling transit disruption just a couple days ago (Sunday night). It was to give them a 9% raise over three years, and some other goodies, but for some reason that didn’t wash with them as drive our buses and trains. After all, they gotta train for what, a couple weeks? Don’t they deserve to earn as much as a nurse or a medical technician?

So by the time you read this they’ll be on strike. It’s not going to be pretty.

Unless you ride a bike.

For cyclists, the bump in bike traffic just as the weather’s getting nice could do wonders for our culture. Already, plans are in place to reserve the curb lanes of the Dundas Street bridge over the Don River (yeah that bridge, the one that will cost Toronto Star “Fixer” Jack Lakey his job yet) for bikes, in both directions.

Between the wreckage of higher gas prices, the need for exercise, and the joy of riding a bike, a Transit strike at this time can only throw more people into the arms of the most rational form of transportation, cycling. Here at the ALLDERBLOB we’re cheering the clods in maroon. You think they wouldn’t go on strike if they had less dorky uniforms? You think they wouldn’t go on strike if they had less dorky uniforms?

Strike away, boys and girls.

As for cyclists, enjoy your strength in numbers. Let’s all work for a world where everyone can safely ride a bike.

A world where everyone rides a bike? Singer drawing

UPDATE: Strikers were forced back to work by the province. And in the meantime, NO enforcement of the carfree lanes on Dundas East or Queen’s Quay or any of the other special provisions that were supposed to be established. Pity.

One Response to “Toronto Transit Commission rejects contract; strike imminent: Who Cares? –ALLDERBLOB

  1.  

    This comes to us from an organizer at the Toronto Cyclist Union, Anthony M. Humphries:

    Who Hoo!

    It's a cycling advocate's dream come true! A TTC strike at exactly the same time that gas goes up $0.02

    Why am I happy? Because the TTC is about to prove that

    Cycling is safe, fun and FAST, and cheap!

    While this is bad news for many who now "have to drive," it will also make many people try cycling in order to get around, especially for shorter trips.

    In 1991 the TTC went on strike for 8 glorious days. Congestion was so tight that it would take 2 hours of sitting in a car to get from Queen & Bay to Bathurst & Eglinton.

    But it didn't have much impact on the speed of cyclists. Cycling became much more popular after that. The worse the congestion got, the more that used their bikes. Many continued to do so, even after the strike.

    We already know that the bike stores were busy last weekend; imagine this weekend?

    Perhaps I'm cruel, but I do hope that the strike drags on a bit, at least for three workdays so that we (cyclists) can brag about how our commute times are almost unchanged, and how the heavy congestion that has cars stopped makes cycling safe.

    It's up to us, let's get our message out!

    Cycling is safe, fun and FAST, and cheap!

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